Quick front clamping system for reverisble clamping of bending tools

ABSTRACT

The application describes a reversible and quick front clamping system for bending tools (P) that adopts a system of double front ( 01 ) and rear ( 02 ) bars. As the clamping has to be done over the front bar ( 01 ) for safety reasons, independently from the fact that the tool has to be turned to the front (P) or to the back (Pi), the clamping system includes some intermediate bars ( 03 ) with a thickness identical to that of the tool tang. These intermediate bars are set in an unbalanced way in relation to the screw ( 04 ). This way, the bars swing-up automatically by simply inserting/removing the bending tool from the clamping device.

The present innovations refers to a reversible and quick front clamping system of bending tools normally mounted in machines that can be, among others, press brakes and folders.

In these machines the operator is normally positioned at the front. Whenever the tools are changed, the fixing of their position has to be done from the front for safety reasons. These tools should be mounted turned to the front or to the back due to job suitability.

To ensure this reversible front clamping in a quick and safe way, the clamping system of this invention (FIG. 1) is characterized for having two bars, one at the front (01) and one at the rear (02), connected between themselves by a screw (04) that goes through the tool support body, connected to one of the machine parts and normally called beam (on the press brakes) or beam and holddown (on the folders).

There are some intermediate bars (03) placed between the clamping bars (01) and (02) and the tang (06) to mount the tools that are set in an unbalanced way in relation to the screw (4).

When there is no tool, the heaviest part of the bars (03) falls making bars (01) and (02) parallel to the tang (06) (FIG. 1—rear part). Thus, when the tool is set in one of the sides, the bars (03) located on that side turn, swing-up and are embedded in the space that goes from the top of the tool tang (P) to the support body (06) (FIG. 1—front part).

So, independently from the position where the tool is mounted, its clamping can be done always from the front of the machine by means of the bars (03) that fill in the space between the clamping bars (01) or (02) and the support body (06) when there is no tool (P).

This clamping system can be used with quick clamping systems by lever (A—FIG. 1 and 2) electric, pneumatic or hydraulic (FIG. 3 e 4). 

1. Quick front clamping system for reversible clamping of bending tools characterized by the fact of integrating intermediate bars (03) set in an unbalanced way in relation to the screw (04) that positions the front (01) and rear (02) bar in relation to the fixing tang (06).
 2. Quick front clamping system for reversible clamping of bending tools according to claim 1 characterized by the fact the bars are dimensioned in such a way that they can swing-up every time the tool is inserted on that side of the bar for clamping.
 3. Quick front clamping system for reversible clamping of bending tools according to claim 1 the previous claims characterized by the fact that the bars are made in such a way that they descend on the side that holds no tooling, thus helping on the quick clamping function regardless of the side the tooling is mounted (P) or (Pi).
 4. Quick front clamping system for reversible clamping of bending tools according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that it can receive the direct clamping just on one point, or on the appropriate screw (04) or, indirectly, by means of quick systems of mechanical, pneumatic, electrical or hydraulic (A) that pivot on the screw (04).
 5. Quick front clamping system for reversible clamping of bending tools according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that the bars are made in such a way that they descend on the side that holds no tooling, thus helping on the quick clamping function regardless of the side the tooling is mounted (P) or (Pi).
 6. Quick front clamping system for reversible clamping of bending tools according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that it can receive the direct clamping just on one point, or on the appropriate screw (04) or, indirectly, by means of quick systems of mechanical, pneumatic, electrical or hydraulic (A) that pivot on the screw (04).
 7. Quick front clamping system for reversible clamping of bending tools according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that it can receive the direct clamping just on one point, or on the appropriate screw (04) or, indirectly, by means of quick systems of mechanical, pneumatic, electrical or hydraulic (A) that pivot on the screw (04). 